In one of the possible solutions, in which the parenteral products are prefilled disposable syringes, they may be accompanied by an ampoule containing the medicine in liquid or powder form which must be inserted in the syringe.
As is known, packages for pharmaceutical products consist of paperboard boxes in which a container made of plastic material is inserted. The package comprises suitable cavities for containing the pharmaceutical products.
For example, the containers may have a cavity for receiving a parenteral product, suitably shaped for retaining the product in the package. There are also prior art packages/containers which have a plurality of cavities, each designed to contain a respective product, such as a glass ampoule or a syringe.
As indicated above, each cavity is suitably shaped and has undercuts for stably positioning—lodging the object in the cavity and at the same time for allowing it to be removed manually from the package.
Such packages made of plastic material are usually made using thermoforming processes, designed to give the container its box -shaped outline. During the thermoforming process the containment cavities for the syringes and/or ampoules are also made in the upper surface of the box-shaped outline.
In this way, according to the dimensions and outline of the pharmaceutical products to be packaged, suitably sized plastic containers are produced.
However, the packages described above, although able to contain any type of disposable product, have significant disadvantages.
First, it should be noticed that, if the packages are not made immediately before they are used, their dimensions are such that they occupy an excessive amount of storage space.
Such dimensions are due to the box shape of the packages which, even during the production and packaging steps, are particularly bulky.
Another disadvantage is caused by the methods for thermoforming the package, which require the use of special, expensive and structurally complex machines, as well as the use of polymeric materials which by definition are not considered environmentally friendly.
Document US 2006/158733 describes a carton for containing food or beverages.
The carton has openings equipped with tabs which can be folded inwards.
The products are placed in the openings. It should be noted that placing the products in the opening causes the tabs to be folded inwards.
The purpose of the foldable tabs is basically that of laterally containing the products; it should be noted, however, that this does not prevent the products from falling if the carton is tilted and/or turned upside down.
Thus, one disadvantage of this type of package is that of not guaranteeing a sure and secure hold on the products inside the openings.
Patent document DE 8907594 describes a package having an intermediate bottom.
The package comprises a compartment equipped with lateral tabs which can be folded inwards.
The tabs form side walls of the compartment to allow the product to be laterally contained when it is placed in the compartment. With this type of package, too, the product is not held securely in place, especially if the package is turned upside down and/or tilted.
Another disadvantage of this type of package is due to the impossibility of automating the process of erecting the package from a flat non-operating configuration (suitable for storage) to a box-shaped operating configuration (suitable for use). Indeed, the process involves a plurality of folding steps which are difficult to automate.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,339 describes a carton for bottles, comprising a pair of compartments where each compartment is designed to accommodate a bottle.
The carton comprises a tab, associated with each compartment and designed to be folded inwards to allow the compartment to be opened.
These compartments apply on the bottles an action of laterally delimiting the compartment.
In this case too, the products are not held securely inside the carton.
In this context, the technical purpose which forms the basis of this invention is to propose a package for pharmaceutical products, in particular for parenteral products, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
In particular, this invention aims to provide a package for pharmaceutical products which is able to limit the dimensions of the package during the respective production, storage and packaging steps.
A further aim of the invention is to provide a package for pharmaceutical products that is particularly simple and which allows the products to be held securely and effectively inside the package even if the latter is turned upside down and/or tilted.
A yet further aim of the invention is to propose a package for pharmaceutical products which is structurally simple and easy to produce and which uses existing technologies and environmentally friendly materials, in particular new or recycled paperboard.
Another aim of this invention is to propose a solution comprising an tamper-evident system obtained with the addition of a material that is preferably paper or plastic, which indicates when the product contained in the package has been used.